REVIEWS

Simply put, we love
Westside Local. And we’ll hedge our bets that you will too. Westside Local was
actually one of the restaurants that first inspired us to begin blogging about local
Kansas City restaurants. We fell in love with Westside because they pretty much
nail most of the things we look for in a dining experience – they have a locally
sourced, fresh and creative menu, a fantastic wine selection and an impressive
array of craft beers, gorgeous food presentation and a relaxed but
sophisticated atmosphere.

Westside Local

And Westside Local is nestled in – you guessed it – Westside. A neighborhood we believe ranks among Kansas City’s best-kept secrets. Westside sources their
food locally, keeping their menu fresh and surprising with seasonal changes.
Their commitment to locally sourced ingredients is evident. They have a small
garden on their property where many of their vegetables, herbs, and spices are
grown. They source their meat from The Local Pig and other local butchers who are
all committed to selling humanely raised, local meats.

The ambiance is lovely and is often compared to being rather Portlandia-esque, however I think they do a great job of keeping things classy and comfortable.

Bar at Westside Local

When we visited recently for
a late lunch, we ordered their build-your-own cheese platter, which paired
perfectly with their wine selections as a great starter. We tried the manchego,
brie, gruyere and gorgonzola cheeses with fresh fruit, roasted garlic and parmesan-salt
crackers. Delicious.

Build-your-own cheese plate at Westside Local

or lunch, I ordered the Kale
salad which came topped with shaved brussel sprouts, slivered almonds, grated
parmesan cheese, fried shallots, brown sugar bacon, and a maple-tahini
vinaigrette. It’s almost unfair to call it a salad because it reached so far
beyond the flavor and satisfaction of a typical salad. Maybe that was due to
the bacon. Whatever the case, it melted in my mouth and me wish I could eat it
everyday.

Kale Salad

Kale Salad with bacon from the Local Pig at Westside Local

It must have been a salad
day because Bethany ordered the Spinach salad, which I think she also found to be
surprisingly satisfying. Blake ordered the Summit burger, which was the
juiciest ½ pound hormone-free rib-eye that you will ever taste. He ordered it
with arugula and Swiss cheese on top and a farm to market bun. YUM.

Summit Burger, Spinach Salad, Kale Salad at Westside Local

We tried a Rosemary Pear
Cobbler for dessert and it was shockingly good, not too sweet but it certainly
hit the spot.

Rosemary Pear Cobbler at Westside Local

Although this trip was for
a late lunch, we’ve tried different dinner entrée items on other visits and
been incredibly pleased with all of them. We would highly recommend Westside
for lunch or dinner. However, if you are thinking about going for dinner on a
weekend night I recommend putting in a reservation. The restaurant stays very
full on the weekends but don’t let this deter you. Somehow amidst the crowded
patrons, noise stays very much at bay and the atmosphere is always relaxing.

Dinner Menu Westside Local

One last thing to love
about Westside is their great outdoor patio space and they offer private dining
option both indoor and outdoor. All around, Westside Local is a happy pillar of
Kansas City’s farm-to-market offerings and is sure to please.